the tragedy, she said
by fantascination
Summary: was that it never ended. -OC-centric, twoshot
1. the beginning

The descent; oc-centric

The news of Kuja's demise came to her without words. The princess jumped into her brother's arms, hugging him to her like a lifeline, and that was all Mikura needed.

She was tempted to go to Garland, demand answers from him, but she was soon told that Garland was no more as well. That didn't hurt as much- it felt sort of nice to her, like air after being submerged for a second too long. She'd always resented the elder man- if he was going to call her a nuisance, why did he save her that fateful night? Why did he make her part of the family of Angels of Death?

After the initial shock came the agony, burning every else out of her. Mikura couldn't image Kuja, of all people, to be dead, but the news spread like wildfire and even she knew it would be idiotic to deny what was right under her nose. She sat on the weathered couch for what seemed like forever, ignoring Lani's occasional prods at her arm, just checking that her companion was still alive. Once or twice, Mikura wanted to go see Blank, the boy who was her friend and perhaps something more (or, at least, she thought so when he quickly pressed his lips against hers and turned to talk to Baku again), but resisted the temptation. If she were to be found, she would be arrested, charged as Kuja's accomplice and probably locked up for ten years at the least. And anyways, if she showed her face around the Tantalus residence, Mikura was undoubtedly sure that Baku would beat her face in with whatever he could get his hands on first.

"Y'think we oughta go after Amarant?" Lani suggested one afternoon nearing December, setting her beer bottle down on the worn coffee table. They'd found a vacated apartment with recently deceased owners and slightly weathered furniture.

"No." Mikura said quietly, finding herself not wanting to look at her younger companion. "Let's leave the guy to his devices. If he wants to come back, he will." Deep down, Mikura knew this wasn't true. Amarant and Lani had a tense and uncomfortable relationship, and if he could avoid coming back to them, he would. She got the feeling that Lani knew it, too, but both of them spoke no more on the matter.

And then Zidane disappeared. It stunned both of the girls greatly, though some part of Mikura was convinced her brother wasn't dead. Gone, off to find 'hidden truths' and all that hero nonsense, or maybe to find some purpose. It almost made Mikura want to laugh, all the 'hero' shit that everybody kept spouting out. She knew she wasn't a hero, and she didn't mind. Truth be told, she didn't want to be heroic or in the limelight.

She bought guns one day, in a dimly lit arms shop. They were two silver handguns, .22 caliber and held a good clip. Unhesitatingly, she bought them. Lani showed her how to use them and, after a good few hours of relentless practices (and, notably, a few close calls in which Lani nearly got a bullet to her head) Mikura knew how to efficiently use two guns at the same time and that was that.

The idea of revenge didn't come to her until two months after Kuja's death. Just to get her hands on Zidane, teach him a lesson….bend, but don't break, she reasoned. What she wouldn't give just to get her hands on him…

And she began to lose her mind, slowly.

She never did go entirely insane. Always on the edge, always about to snap. She grew even more bitter and scornful than she had been before, and anyone who knew her would swear she was never the same after Kuja died. Her laugh turned cold with her blood, and her sincerity was buried under with her compassion and love. She donned a new outfit, dark and inconspicuous to match her new attitude, sinister and ruthless.

And inside Mikura's head, the idea of revenge blossomed into a sort of pained obsession. Zidane came back, worn and definitely ready to just relax for a few months. The idea of vengeance was irresistible, and, loved Zidane as she did, she was determined to avenge Kuja even if she died in the process.

Lani left to find Amarant eventually, leaving Mikura to her own twisted devices, and the latter was just fine with that. She didn't mind working alone. Made things easier, because there was no one's trust to doubt.

Her fingers brushed over the crisp, new magazines, and she picked up a soda on the way. It was going to be a long night, she figured, and she needed to stay awake if she was going to find out how to get past the castle's defenses. Her combat boots made loud clunking noises as she walked, and the clerk kept glaring at her.

Finding nothing interesting in the magazines, she headed towards the door, Coca-Cola still in her hand.

The chemical-bleach blonde, chomping on her gum like a cow on grass, said in a flat, annoyed tone, "Hey, lady, are you gonna pay for that or what?"

Mikura turned to the clerk, smiling an artificial smile that didn't reach her eyes. She jerked one of the guns from her waistband and pointed it directly into the blonde's face. Before the clerk could even scream, she pulled the trigger, smirking as the girl fell to the floor.

She pulled a five from her pocket and laid it on the counter, whistling a nameless tune as she stuck the gun back in her waistband and walked out the automatic door.

And slowly, the descent began.

.

The end

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a/n:

I think I'm starting to get obsessed with Mikura. -_- I wrote a D:FF fanfic with her in it (I still have it up, for those interested, if such a thing is possible) and I don't personally think it came out that well.

This takes place kinda after Dissidia, which, in my mind, takes place sometime after FFIX. Mikura is older than the trio (Zidane-Kuja-Mikoto) and she's half-human. Sorry if she's confusing, but she is a bit insane :P.

Oh, and since a friend of mine asked, I'll explain the time thing here. In the DFF fic with Mikura in it- that takes place AFTER this. Mikura has a very close relationship with Kuja, and when he dies, she wants to beat the tar out of Zidane. Zidane kills her, and Mikura shows up in the story I'm writing ATM, which is focusing on the 14th cycle of the war in Dissidia.

Review or Kefka will come and raid your refrigerator. :P I mean it.

(why was this fic written? Because I got a laptop, that's why.)


	2. the end

When the cold, rough ground finally crashed against Mikura's knees and her weapon slid from her hand, no one had to tell her it was over. Not Zidane, whose eye was blackened and mouth was bleeding; not Garnet, who lay, still unconscious, to the side, unaware that her captor was seconds from death. Not that little voice in the back of her mind that had told her all along this was going to happen.

She knew. She always had.

And it didn't matter, those last two months whose climax was here, in the damp, cold cavern. All the fighting, all the crimes she'd committed, the innocent lives she had taken...it didn't matter. In failing at this, at avenging that one crucial element of her life, she forfeited any desire or right to walk away from this place.

There were no tears, no memories to haunt the ones who would walk away. Mikura pushed away her brother's helpful hand, shoving away with them everything she had done. If she could pretend, for just this instant, that she was innocent, it wouldn't hurt her as badly.

"Go on, now." her voice was barely louder than a breathnote. "Take your princess and go. Tell them you won. You're interrupting my slow, dramatic death."

"Let me help you."

"I don't want help."

Her body started going numb; she could see the swirls of shapeless dark gas beginning to swirl around her. The world started getting hazy.

He stood and watched her, and Mikura thought she saw those warm blue eyes sparkle with tears. If she had the strength, she would have laughed; how ironic for him to be mourning the one who had torn his life to shreds...

She let her head fall- she did not want to look at him anymore. She heard him move, saw those scruffy boots sweep up his dazed princess and start to walk away.

The end came as swiftly as she wanted it, so quickly she didn't have time to anticipate it; her body vanished, and so did she.

-fin-

a/u: -sigh-

sorry about the crappy ending.


End file.
